


The Five Women of Daniel Sousa's Life

by serenyty



Series: Peggysous Week 2015 [3]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family History, Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:45:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4018519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenyty/pseuds/serenyty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are five women who shape Daniel Sousa's life..</p>
<p>For Peggysous Week 3: Favorite Character Focus</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Women of Daniel Sousa's Life

**Author's Note:**

> I went into Agent Carter a Peggy Carter fan, left it with Daniel Sousa as my favorite. Whoops. Sorry Peg.

 

1\. Little Sister

Agnes Sousa was born when Daniel was six years old, and he didn't know what to make of her. Daniel was old enough to understand who she was, but not old enough to understand  how he felt about her coming. Change was scary. He didn't speak of this to his parents, who were nerves and jitters about the baby, excited but scared themselves. Sensitive even at that young age, Daniel didn't want to upset his parents with his own worries. 

 

(Daniel didn't find out until much later that, between him and Agnes, his mother had miscarried two babies. He wondered what it might have been like to have three siblings, but Agnes was perfect so he never dwelled on it).

 

Looking back, Daniel didn't know what he had been expecting when he went to the hospital to visit his mom and Agnes. He was only able to come and visit two days after his little sister was born; she was born prematurely, weak and sickly. When he visited, his father sat him down, and placed the baby in Daniel's arms. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of his baby sister sleeping peacefully in his arms, all soft, pink skin. 

 

"This is Agnes," his father said, "your little sister. As her big brother it's your responsibility to look after her, to help take care of her. Do you think you can handle this responsibility?" 

 

Daniel nodded solemnly, not taking his eyes off his sister. He wasn't going to let his family down. 

 

Since that day Daniel took his responsibilities seriously. His sister was often sick and needed medicine. He never complained, and got a paper route when he was old enough to help out. 

 

When Daniel came back near the end of the war, shipped back with a purple heart and a bronze star, Agnes came to visit as soon as he came back. She sat at his bedside, told him stories, and kept him company through the process of getting fitted for his prosthetic leg. When asked why she was sitting around with him all day when she had a husband of her own at home, she simply replied "It's my turn to take care of you now."

 

2\. Mother

 

Matilde Morais Sousa was a kind-hearted woman who worked hard and expected others to follow her example. She loved her husband and her family, and she wanted to make them happy above all else. 

 

During the depression, once she felt Daniel and Agnes were old enough, Matilde went back to work as a schoolteacher. After some adjustment, the family fell into a schedule. Both parents helped with the chores, and Daniel began to help as well.

 

One day as he walked home from school, Daniel saw his mother speaking in a hushed heated tone with their elderly next door neighbor, Mrs. Miller. As he got closer, he began to hear what they were saying. 

 

"... Appropriate to be outside the home? A woman's place is at home, taking care of her family."

 

"I'm doing what's best for my family," Matilde Sousa said, mouth pursed.

 

"What will your husband think? A happy home is the wife's responsibility."

  
"My husband and I are quite happy, thank you very much."

 

Then Matilde saw Daniel, said a curt goodbye to Mrs. Miller, and took him inside. 

 

"Why was Mrs. Miller mad?" Daniel asked as he took off his shoes. 

 

Matilde sighed, and got on her knees to speak to Daniel face to face.

 

"Some people are upset that Mama goes to work."

 

Daniel's brow furrowed. "But why?"

 

"Some people think a woman's job is to stay home, that that'll make everyone happier."

 

"But we're happy now," Daniel protested.

 

Matilde gently grasped Daniel's shoulders. "Yes, we are happy. If a woman is happy outside of the home, if her family is happy, then everything's fine."  
  
Daniel nodded.

  
"Are you happy, Daniel?" Matilde asked, trembling. 

 

Daniel nodded again. Matilde exhaled in relief, and gave her son a hug.

 

3\. Ex-Girlfriend

 

Anne Smith lived three houses down and Daniel had always liked her just fine. She was very pretty, with bright blue eyes and light brown ringlets. Their families occasionally went to each other's homes for dinner, their mothers traded recipes, and their fathers worked together. Daniel began walking Anne to and from school, which caused their parents to whisper excitedly when they thought Daniel and Anne couldn't hear. 

 

Dating Anne was pleasant; it made him happy, it made his family happy. After some years, they spoke in vague terms about getting married, but put it off when they realized that Daniel would be leaving. There would be plenty of time when the war was over.

 

She kissed him goodbye when he went off to fight in the war; that was the last time they kissed. 

 

As he lay in his bed at the VA, Anne fighting back her tears at the extent of his injuries, Daniel told her that it was OK if she wanted to leave. At this, she began to cry. She had met someone while he was gone, she said someone that made her heart beat wildly and that made her the happiest she had ever been. As she was about to leave, Anne gave him a soft smile.

 

"You're a good man, Daniel. You deserve to meet someone who makes you feel like that, too."

 

4\. Peggy Carter

 

Peggy Carter made Daniel Sousa wonder how he got to be so lucky, something he never thought he'd wonder after the war. She was spirited, kind, passionate, beautiful, wonderful, and she loved him like he loved her.

 

After he lost his leg, he wondered if  he would ever find someone, but he doubted it. Then he met Peggy and fell head over heels almost instantly. He thought that he would have to have feelings for her from afar; almost as soon as she started at the SSR office, rumors began to fly about her affair with Captain America during the war. Who would want to go from America's greatest hero to a man who couldn't walk without a crutch?

 

The cruel twist was that it had been Captain America who saved his life in the war. Daniel was one of many that got saved that day from behind enemy lines, and doubted that he stood out at all, but it was both funny and sad that the girl of his dreams' love was the one who saved his own life.

 

He expected his feelings for Peggy to remain entirely unrequited, especially after she rejected his offer to get a drink, but was floored when she asked him to get drinks. She really did have plans with her friend Angie, she said, but she really did want to go on a date with him.

 

Their courtship proceeded in smiles, laughter, and happiness that neither of them had known. This was the happiness that Anne had spoken of, that he never thought he would be able to find. Even when they faced teasing and jokes at the office, he found he was able to take them in stride. With Peggy at his side he was a better man, more confident. She took every aspect of his life and made it better.

 

A year and three months after they began dating Peggy asked Daniel if he would marry her, saying she was tired of waiting. He immediately agreed.

 

They wed shortly after in a small ceremony attended by only their closest friends and family. Daniel thought this would be the happiest day of his life, and didn't think that his life could get any better.

 

5\. Daughter

  
When Peggy told him she was pregnant, Daniel was part elated and part concerned. He tried his best not to fret over her and not to coddle Peggy too much; he knew he couldn't stop her from working while pregnant (not that he'd want to!) and he knew that Peggy would do what was best for the baby.

 

He fought the urge to pace in the waiting room, his crutch and prosthetic being the only things to stop him from walking a hole into the ground. When he was told that he could go see Peggy and the baby, he walked as fast as he could into her room, hoping that everything was alright.

 

When he entered the room, Peggy looked up at him and gave him a tired, but ecstatic smile. Daniel exhaled quickly, feeling like he could relax. He walked over to the side of Peggy's hospital bed and then he saw her, his daughter, sleeping soundly in Peggy's arms. He watched the two of them for a moment, the two people he loved completely, and unconditionally, before he took his daughter into his arms. She was perfect, and he was happier than he had ever been.

 

"Hello, Elizabeth," he said to his daughter, using the name that he and Peggy had decided on should their child be a girl, "Your mother and I are glad to finally meet you."


End file.
